Welcome To The Black Parade
by Courage of Billy Batson
Summary: Short songfic centered around Jason Todd.


Jason Todd stands on top of a building with the famous Batman, who is dressed in full black. Admittedly, the Robin costume isn't as impressive- its garishly yellow cape, bright red shirt, and distinct lack of pants don't exactly make him seem very strong. But as Jason looks over Gotham, the city that had beaten him down and nearly destroyed him, he almost felt like he could be a hero.

"Jason…" Batman- no, Bruce- said, turning away from the city. "You do realize what you're about to start isn't very easy to get out of. You of all people know there's darkness in this world. Once you start fighting the darkness, it becomes very hard to draw the line between you and them. You have to promise me you won't go back to what you were."

"That's what you're worried about?" Jason asks, turning to face Bruce. "I was expecting something about how I could die at any second."

"That's a given." Bruce says.

That's a given. Jason's face betrays no emotion, but his mind starts to wander. Every superhero knows what they're getting themselves into. Do people like that really exist? People who risk their lives for some random stranger they've never met?

Could Jason ever be like that?

"Listen, Jason," Bruce says, his voice taking a softer tone. "You need to defeat your demons, if only to show the non-believers it's possible to do so. You need to become the savior of the broken, the beaten, and the damned. Can you do that?"

Jason tries to come up with an answer, but finds himself saying something else. "Why do you need me?"

"What?" Bruce asks.

"Why do you need me?" Jason repeats. "You're the world's greatest detective. You've fought your entire life, and no one has ever beaten you. Why do you need some kid who's more likely to do bad then good?"

"You think no one's ever beaten me?" Bruce asks. "One person has. When I was a little kid, I watched a man shoot my mother and father just because my mother wouldn't give him her engagement ring. I still don't know who he is, or why he needed money. All I learned that night is nothing is immortal. Just like my parents, one day, I'll leave this world. I'll leave you. And when I do, I'll need someone to take my place."

Jason turns away, looking at the street below them. "Okay," he says. "I promise."

Jason and Bruce both watch the parade clad fully in black walk down the street.

"I'm sorry." Jason said, kneeling in front of the grave.

* * *

Jason had missed the funeral. It isn't his fault- no one told him about it. Jason had found out he had died only after Nightwing called a few days ago.

He stared at the words on the gravestone. "Bruce Wayne, 1963-2008. Philanthropist and loving father." They just aren't enough. Bruce wasn't just a philanthropist, or even a father- he was the Batman. He was the greatest hero to ever live. People who look at the gravestone won't see Bruce for who he really was.

But maybe it was true. Jason still wasn't sure if Bruce Wayne was the Batman, or if the Batman was Bruce Wayne.

Either way, Bruce was the only person to ever really understand Jason. Even after Jason left, he always felt like Bruce was watching over him. Jason had felt closer to Bruce then to anyone else he had ever met. Bruce was Jason's real father- not the drug addict, muscle for hire, possibly dead man who got his drug addicted mother pregnant. Bruce was the only person who had ever truly accepted Jason, the only person who had ever truly felt loss after Jason's death. No, Jason didn't belong to anyone besides Bruce.

And just like his biological parents, Bruce had died.

"I'll carry on," Jason tells himself, closing his eyes. "I'll carry on. Even though you're dead and gone… at least your memory will carry on."

His heart can't contain the loss anymore. Jason lets it out in the only way the world could understand- his tears.

He used to think Bruce's misery and hate would kill him. Now, he realized it was Bruce's realism that kept him alive. Jason has to do something, to show he understands now. He wants to paint the world black, to take it back.

No. No, he can't do this. He is Jason Todd. He is the Red Hood. He can't let Bruce's- no, Batman's- death change him. He is right. Bruce is wrong. That is the only thing that can keep him going.

"You'll never make me." Jason whispers. "The world will never take my heart. I won't explain, or say I'm sorry. I'm unashamed. We're broken- this is who we are." The tears came harder. "I'm just a man! Don't you understand this? I'm not a hero! I'm just a boy you destroyed! I'm not a hero! I'm not you!"

Jason takes a deep breath, wipes his hand across his face. "I don't care," he whispers. "I don't care!"

Jason stands up and turns away. "Every little boy wanted to be you." he whispers. "Every little boy wanted to play your part. Every boy except me. Why did you think I could?"

As Jason walks away, he thinks of that day on the building, when Batman first explained what being a hero meant. He remembers the funeral parade he saw. He understands.

Batman has finally joined the black parade.


End file.
